Gas turbine plant



GAS TURBINE PLANT Filed July 11, 1942 INVENTOR.

fl alter Wax/pal QQV M l .L I ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 24, 1945 PATENT OFFICE GAS TURBINE PLANT Walter Traupcl, Wlnterthur, Switzerland, assignor to Sulzer Frres, Socit Anonyme, Wlnterthur, Switzerland Application July 11,

1942, Serial No. 450,521

In Switzerland December 18, 1941 3 Claims.

The invention relates to a gas turbine plant with at least one turbine for giving the useful output and at least one turbine for driving at least one compressor. The invention consists in that the turbines can be coupled to each other by a gear with adjustable speed ratio.

Preferably the speed ratio is altered in accordance with the useful output of the total plant. The turbines may for instance be coupled to each other by an hydraulic torque adjuster with adjustable guide apparatus. or by an electric coupling. The invention offers particular advantages when a part of the working medium moves in a closed circuit through at least one compressor and the turbine driving it, whilst another part of the working medium is taken from the closed circuit. replaced by an equivalent quantity, and used as combustion air in connection with the heating of the working medium flowing in the closed circuit. The invention thus makes it possible to prevent any inadmissible. increase of speed of the compressor turbine.

The invention is further explained with the help of the drawing.

The working medium flowing in the closed circuit is led in a compressed state from the compressor to the heat exchanger 2. From here a part of the working medium passes into the sur-' face gas heater 3, after which it enters the turbine 5. The working medium flowing from-the turbine 5 passes finally through the heat-exchanger and over the cooler 1 again into the compressor I.

From the circuit just described, a part of the working medium is tapped oiT and led through the pipe 4 into the combustion space of the gas heater 3, from where the combustion gases flow into the turbine 6 and finally pass away to atmosphere.

and the precompressor 8, whilst the turbine 6 drives the ship's propeller I! through the toothed wheels l9 and 2 The electric motor It serves for starting up the plant.

Between the turbine 5 and the toothed wheels l8 and 20 an hydraulic ratio is titted; by means of it the turbine 5 and accordance.

The plant is worked in such a way that the the turbine 5 remains unchanged within a wide range of load. When the pressure level is low, the turbine 5, and therefore also the compressors I and 8, run at a higherspeed than when the pressure level is higher. The adjustability of this shaft speed is a drawback plant in so far that the efiiciency of the whole plant is only favourable within a small range of load, but falls away quickly outside that range. Further, with the considerably increased speed of These drawbacks can be avoided when means for transmitting power are rovided between turbine 5 and turbine 6, such that A most favourable for them, quite independent from the speed of the turbine 6. By adjusting the guide blades l6 it is possible to transmit the power, either from the turbine 5 to the turbine 6 or vice versa, in such a way that the turbine 5 runs at the speed which is most favourable for it and for the compressors l and 8. Y

This prevents the speed of the turbine 5 rising inadmissibly high when the load is reduced or falling too low when the load is increased. Working can in fact be adjusted in such a way that the speed falls when the load is low and rises when the load is greater. In this way the efliciency is raised, so that it remains practically unchanged temperature of the working medium passing into a to the working of the over a wide range of load, and then falls only slowly.

Instead of an hydraulic gear, an electric or a mechanical gear could be adopted. Also with an electro-magnetic coupling, or with a simple hydraulic coupling with out guide apparatus, transmission of power could be obtained with adjustable speed ratio in the sense of the invention.

I claim:

1. A power plant which comprises a first compressor which receives air from the atmosphere, a second compressor, a heat exchanger, a conduit for assing the compressed air from the first compressor into the second compressor, means for'passing the air compressed in the second compressor through the heat exchanger, com bustion heating means for using a part of the compressed air from the heat exchanger for burning fuel, a turbine, means for passing the combustion gas to the turbine, a shaft for driving a load, gear means connecting said turbine with said shaft, a second turbine for driving at least one of said compressors, means for passing another part of the compressed air from the heat exchanger in heat-exchange contact with the combustion gas and into the second turbine, and adjustable gear means interconnecting both turbines.

a second compressor,

2. A power plant according to claim 1 which comprises a valve-controlled bypass for passing a part of the air compressed in the first compressor back into the intake of said first com- DIESSOI.

3. A power plant which comprises a first compressor which receives air from the atmosphere, a heat exchanger, a conduit for passing the compressed air from the first compressor into the second compressor, means for passing the air compressed in the second compressor through the heat exchanger, combustion heating means for using a part of the compressed air from the heat exchanger for burning fuel, a turbine, gas to the turbine, a shaft for driving a load, gear means connecting said turbine with said shaft, a second turbine for driving at least one of said compressors, means for passing another part of the compressed air from the heat exchanger in heat-exchange contact with the combustion gas and into the second turbine, an hydraulic coupling with adjustable speed means,

and shaft means connecting the second turbine to the hydraulic coupling and to the gear means,

whereby both turbines are connected to the load shaft and to each other.

WALTER. TRAUPEL.

means for passing the combustion 

